A breath of fresh air on drug policy in the Americas: the recent debate at the CICAD

By Coletta A. Youngers

The region’s top drug policy officials came together in Washington, DC from april 29 to May 1 for a meeting of the Organization of American State's Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission (CICAD). Like the UN's Commision on Narcotic Drugs (CND), the bi-annual ritual has long been characterized by endless official speeches about what countries are doing to "combat the scourge" of illicit drugs. However, a slow evolution in the nature of these meetings was evident. An increase in the number of sessions focused on thematic issues and the inclusion of more independent experts in those sessions have made the meetings far more interesting.

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